Illuminating device



c. H. VICTOREEN ILLUMINATING DEVICE Dec. 7, 1937.

Filed Nov. 8, 1934 INVENT OR CHARLES H. VICTOREEN Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to indirect illuminating devices of wall fixture type, continuous along a wall or all four walls of a room, adjacent the ceiling of the room todirectly illuminate the 1 upper part of the room and thereby indirectly illuminate the contents of the room.

An object of the invention is to provide such an illuminating device of inexpensive construction, in relatively short sections from which a stretch of the desired length may be simply made up, mounted, and wired.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the modernizaton of illumination in old dwellings and other building structures and to this end takes advantage of the molding usually found in such old buildings, there provided for hanging pictures and the like. Objects of the invention are to provide that the illuminating device of the invention be attachable directly to this molding by hooking thereover, and that,

if the molding be in use the use be not disturbed, the device providing a submolding adapted to perform the functions of the original mold- Other objects are to provide novel means and generally means integral with the sections of the illuminating device, for supporting 'position of the lamp means and the wiring therefor.

The exact nature of the invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a typical sectional elevation of a form of the device, in which all parts are integral; Fig. 2 is a similar sectional View of another form of the device; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the form of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but showing another form of the device; Fig. 5 is a View in elevation of the form illustrated in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a plan View illustrating a corner portion of a room in which the device has been installed.

With reference now to the drawing, and first to Fig. 1 thereof, A is the usual picture molding mounted on the wall B of a room adjacent the ceiling of the latter.

The illuminating device to be applied thereto, comprises a length or more of sheet metal, all

parts of which are integral, in the form here shown, the device being of uniform section throughout its length.

The device includes a hook member I adapted to engage the molding A so that the device is 555 pendent from the latter. It includes a brace member 2 adapted to bear against the wall B below the molding as indicated, and terminating in an out-turned bead 3, left open as indicated to form an element to which may be hooked for suspension, whatever might have been hooked 5- to the original molding A. Between the hook member I and the brace member 2 of the device, a trough member 4 extends, forming a deep cavity 5 opening upwardly and outwardly of the wall B and adapted to receive lamp means 6. 1&-

ployed. The trough member 4 is preferably pro- 15'- vided with such a contour that the side walls of the cavity 5 will direct the light from the source 6 upwardly but more outwardly, as with the distribution indicated by the arrows, so that much or most of the light will be thrown onto the ceiling well away from the wall. The lower wall of the trough member 4 where it meets the brace member 2, has sufficient extent and disposition relative to the lamp means 6 that the lamp means itself will be invisible from usually occug pied positions within the room. 7

In employment it is preferable that the length of the device be short relative to the usual wall,

so that a number of the devices are placed as sectional elements, end to end either abutting or telescoping along the molding A, to-form a continuous trough and so on. Where incandescent lamps such as the lamp 6 are employed as the source of illumination, a plurality of the lamp means are spaced along the stretch at intervals 35- dependent upon their power and theamount of illumination desired. They may simply rest in the trough of the stretch and be connected in a common circuit as by lead wires 1 leading from a line wire 8, the latter being disposed in the gen- 40 erally triangular cavity formed between the wall B, the trough member 4 and the brace member 2, the trough member 4 being perforated to receive the lead wires 1. The line wire 8 may be connected to the usual base outlet or any other convenient outlet, either between a pair of the devices in the stretch or through an opening in one of them. Obviously, the finish of the inner face of the trough member 4, that is, of the cavity 5 which it forms, is preferably bright, since this part of the device forms a reflector. The outer face of the brace member 2 and/or other parts visible to the room occupant, may have any finish suitable to the molding, such as light enamel, or dark graining. 55.

With reference now to the modification of Figs. 2 and 3, the device is formed of two pieces, an upper one having a hook member Ia and a trough member id, and a lower piece comprising a brace member 2a and having a bead 3a for the same purposes as the head 3 in Fig. 1. The contours of the two pieces at their outer extremities, are similar and they are there joined together as by a rolled bead 9, for endwise telescopic adjustment. The upper piece includes a part I0 adapted to bear against the wall B to steady the device and may have clips H punched out therefrom at intervals, each to receive the base or socket part of a lamp whereby the latter may be supported and positioned. The hook member la of the upper piece may be cut away at intervals as indicated at l2, Fig. 3, that the device may have superior flexibility for conformity to irregularities in the molding A.

Employment of this form of the device 'is generally as before, except that the sections are preferably assembled in their end to end relation, with the joints between the upper pieces staggered with respect to the joints between the lower pieces, the joints being of the butt type, as indicated Fig. 3. To improve appearance, the alignment of the lower pieces in the stretch, batten members l3 of strip. metal or the like and conforming generally to the contour of the lower piece as indicated in Fig. 2, may be positioned over the lower joints as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, with end parts disposed respectively within the bead 3a and about the bead 9 as indicated in Fig. 2.

With reference now to the modification of Figs. 4 and 5, the construction will be observed as generally similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3, with a few exceptions. The connection at 9b between the two pieces, is of such nature that the end lip of the upper piece may be inserted into the lower piece with spring effect as at 92). Parts I lb are punched out and upset from the upper piece for positively mounting the socket I4 of the lamp 6, and members I5 are similarly provided at intervals for the line wires 8. Also, there is a third, reinforcing member l6 having at its upper extremity a hook member [1 adapted to engage the molding A, at its lower extremity a hook member I8 adapted to engage the lower hook head Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the general manner of employment of all forms of the device and particularly'that last described, the joints being between upper pieces and between the lower pieces having staggered relation so that in the stretches the assembled device will have rigidity with alignment of the parts preserved so that the trough in which the lamps are positioned will be continuous and lightproof. Corner pieces H! are provided of any suitable form for improving the appearance of the joint between stretches at the room corners.

What I claim is:

1. An indirect illuminating device of sheet meta1, having a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, a brace member adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted, and an intermediate trough member adapted to receive and support lamp means and to direct light therefrom upwardly and outwardly into said room, said device being of substantially uniform section lengthwise of said molding but its trough member having an upset part arranged to support a lamp.

2. An indirect illuminating device of sheet metal, having a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, a brace member adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted, and an intermediate trough member adapted to receive and support lamp. means and to direct light therefrom upwardly and outwardly into said room, said device being of substantially uniform section lengthwise of said molding but its trough member having an upset part arranged to position wiring for said lamp means.

3. A two-piece indirect illuminatingdevice of the class described having an upper piece including a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, and a trough member pendent from said hook member and adapted to receive lamp means and to direct light therefrom upwardly and outwardly into said room, said device including a second piece connected to the outer part of said trough member and extending therefrom as a brace member adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted.

4. A three-piece indirect illuminating device of the class. described having an upper piece including a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, and a trough member pendent from said hook member and adapted to receive lamp means and to direct light therefrom upwardly and outwardly into said room, said device including a second piece connected to the outer part of said trough member and extending therefrom as a brace member adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted, said brace member having an outturned bead providing ahook-supporting element coextensive with the device, said device including a third piece comprising a reinforcing member adapted to hook over said molding, extend downwardly therefrom overlying said wall, and to hook under the lower extremity of said brace member.

5. An indirect illuminating device of the class described having a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, a brace member adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted, and an intermediate trough member adapted to receive lamp means and to direct light therefrom upwardly and outwardly into said room, said hook member being cut away at intervals to increase its adaptability to irregularities in said molding.

6.. An indirect illuminating device of the class described, comprising a strip of sheet metal having a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, said strip of metal having a portion provided With a reflecting surface which is inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the wall upon which the molding is mounted, a trough member pendent from the downwardly and inwardly inclined portion which is adapted to receive and conceal lamp means, and a brace member adapted to bear against said wall below said molding and form a support for the outer portion of the trough, said trough being so arranged that rays of light from, the lamp means received therein will impinge upon the downwardly and inwardly inclined portion of said device and will be reflected upwardly and outwardly into said room.

7. An indirect illuminating device of the class described, comprising a strip-of sheet metal having a hook member adapted to engage the wall molding of a room to be illuminated, a trough portion pendent from said hook member adapted to receive and conceal lamp means, and a base portion connected to the outward extremity of the trough portion and adapted to bear below said molding against the wall upon which said molding is mounted, the portion of the metal strip extending downwardly from the hook member to form one wall of the trough member being inclined inwardly toward the wall upon which said molding is mounted and being provided with a reflecting surface and the metal portion forming the opposite wall of the trough being inclined upwardly and outwardly and being provided with a reflecting surface, whereby rays of light impinging upon the inner walls of said trough will be reflected upwardly and outwardly into said room.

CHARLES H. VICTOREEN. 

